Defiance of the Fall

Zac soon spotted a solitary demon who walked towards a house right next to the wall . There were no other demons close to him and the small building would provide perfect cover , making him a perfect target .

Zac crept along the wall , and with one swift motion jumped down right in front of him . Quick as lightning he grabbed the startled demon by his tunic and dragged him behind the house . Without any pause , Zac slammed him against the building’s wall with one hand and brought out his axe with the other .

Scream and you die . Do you understand what I’m saying? - Zac asked with a steely glint as he held the axe at his throat , ready to decapitate the demon at a moment’s notice .

The demon looked truly horrified after he saw Zac’s face . Tears started falling like rain , and even a snot bubble was starting to grow . He incoherently started whispering something in the demonic language , regularly interrupting himself with large sobs .

Zac was stumped , not expecting such an exaggerated response . Perhaps his deeds on the mountain had spread , and the demon was afraid he’d poison the town to death . But then again , this demon differed from the ones he had encountered so far . He didn’t look at all like a hardened warrior . Rather , he looked like a civilian . He didn’t wear any weapon , and while his arms looked sturdy he also had a pretty large gut . Furthermore , he was middle-aged , whereas most of the warriors he had encountered seemed quite young .

Just as he was considering whether he should kill the demon and find a new interrogation target a shaky voice behind him interrupted his thoughts .

Um . . P-Please let my dad go . He can’t understand your words . -

Zac instantly whirled around , holding the stocky demon as a barrier against this new voice . He found himself face to face with a small bespectacled demoness . She was the shortest one he had seen , just about reaching up to his chest , and had her silver hair in a neat bun . She didn’t carry any weapons and shook with fright as she was facing Zac’s murderous glare .

Move over to behind the house . If you scream you both die , - Zac instructed the scared demon with a low but harsh voice . Seeing her pallid face and remembering his words he was starting to feel like a villain , even though the demons were his enemies . - I just want some answers , help me out and I’ll leave , - he added in a softer tone .

The demon didn’t seem very comforted by his words and still shook like a leaf . Still , she complied with his words , much to the dismay of the middle-aged demon . He started wheezing something out , and soon even tried to scream . He likely wanted his daughter to run away from them and get to safety . While Zac could appreciate the sentiment , he couldn’t let her go as he finally had someone he could question . With a quick thud , he hit the pudgy demon in the back of his head , instantly knocking him out and shutting him up .

Sorry about that , but he is alive . I can’t have him scream and warn the whole town , - Zac sighed as he placed the unconscious demon next to the demoness .

Why is it that I can speak with some of you , but most only speak gibberish? - Zac questioned , eager to finally get some answers .

Gibberish - ? The small demon seemed a bit offended but quickly readjusted to a timid face , - You . . You need a skill to speak with other races . But it is expensive so most people don’t have it . I am a merchant so the clan provided it for me . - She seemed somewhat proud of the fact , as it was quite a glorious job to have .

Your class is Merchant? - Zac asked with a renewed relief he didn’t gamble for the Epic class when choosing a class .

No , I’m a Scribe , a common class . But I am following , I mean I was following , the upgrade path towards a real merchant class in the future , - the demon answered , looking somewhat deflated .

What she said about upgrade path was something he was interested in finding out more about , but he had more pressing matters .

Why are you people still on my island? Your invasion should have failed when the incursion ended . Why haven’t you gone back to wherever you came from? - This was the most crucial question on Zac’s mind right now .

Going back… Some of us can't , - she answered with a melancholic smile . - We embarrassed the clan and cost it a lot of money when the invasion failed . If we went back bad things would happen . Some chose to stay on this planet instead . -

Zac felt a headache coming on when he realized he suddenly had a bunch of demon refugees on the island .

How many of you are still left? -

I don’t know… - she answered with a low voice , and hastily explained when she saw Zac’s eyes narrowed dangerously . - I truly don’t know , I usually just file documents . Ogras should know . He is , was , the leader of the expedition . But most of the warriors left , their status is better in the clan . -